this article also ran in today's californian, but at the bottom is a link from columnist kathleen parker's home newspaper, where you can read more of her columns.
i was particularly interested to read parker's argument in print, since my aunt has been saying the same thing for some time - that the klan were the "first american terrorists." she likes to bring this up whenever [certain types of conservative] "christians" (one woman in particular, though) start telling her that  "muslims" and "arabs" need to be "wiped out" so that  "we can get america back."  or something like that. 
my aunt delights in listening to these racist rants, then refuting them with the klan argument and watching the ranter shrivel up and go silent, without rebuttal.
the problem's not islam, or christianity (both books can be interpreted literally  to mean just about anything and justify just about any behavior),  but the radical maniacs who claim these holy books preach violence, as well as any "one people" who seem to stand by and allow such violence to occur in their name. http://www.orlandosentinel....

After Pat's Birthday

By Kevin Tillman

Posted on Oct 19, 2006

 

Editor's note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

 

It is Pat's birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after.  It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military.  He spoke about the risks with signing the papers.  How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people.  How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition.  How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice until we get out. 

 

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

 

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can't be called a civil war even though it is.  Something like that.

 

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them.  Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few "bad apples" in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet.  It's interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

 

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes. 

 

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground. 

 

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

 

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

 

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

 

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

 

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

 

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

 

Somehow torture is tolerated.

 

Somehow lying is tolerated. 

 

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense. 

 

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

 

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

 

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

 

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

 

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

 

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

 

Somehow this is tolerated.

 

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

 

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people.  So don't be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity.  Most likely, they will come to know that "somehow" was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites. 

 

Luckily this country is still a democracy.  People still have a voice.  People still can take action.  It can start after Pat's birthday. 

 

 

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

 

Kevin Tillman

 

 

Attachment photo courtesy the Tillman Family

Photo Caption:  Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.

this is terrifying stuff. definite material for contemplation and discussion. descriptions are not mine, but  from the persons who posted the material on www.youtube.com

1. http://www.youtube.com/watc...  : Rigged U.S. Election. Description: Computer Programmer testifies that Tom Feeney (Speaker of the House of Florida at the time, currently US Representative representing MY [poster's] district ) tried to pay him to rig election vote counts. See more videos like this at http://www.TruthStream.Org - Streaming Videos of TRUTH to the American People! 

2. http://www.youtube.com/watc... : Excerpt from British docudrama "Death of a President." Description: A 10 minute clip from the controversial film "Death Of A President." The major movie chains have banned it from theaters in the United States. It was broadcast on TV in the UK on October 9.
Note : I only believe in the lawful removal of George W. Bush from office.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watc... : British docudrama banned in U.S. - entertainment show report. Description: Two major U.S. cinema chains say they will not show a controversial new movie that depicts the assassination of President George W. Bush, while the film's distributor defended it as a thoughtful political thriller.
     A third major chain said it was undecided on whether to show "Death of a President."
     The movie is scheduled to open in U.S. on October 27 and its backers said they are booking it into many regional venues and art houses, despite being shunned by the large chains.
     The fictional film is told like a documentary that tracks the political drama behind an investigation into Bush's murder in October 2007. It has raised a ruckus because it uses digital technology to depict Bush being gunned down.
     Regal Entertainment Group, the No. 1 U.S. cinema operator with more than 6,300 screens in 40 states, will not show the movie because of its subject matter, Regal spokesman Dick Westerling said.
     "We do not feel it is appropriate to portray the future assassination of a president, therefore we do not intend to program this film at any of our cinemas," he said.
     Westerling said Regal has received "numerous phone calls and e-mails" supporting the company and even if the film became a hit in other venues, Regal would stand by its decision.
     Cinemark USA, which operates roughly 2,500 screens in 34 states, told show business newspaper The Hollywood Reporter it would not screen the film.
     A spokeswoman for AMC Entertainment, which runs 5,600 screens, told Reuters her company had yet to make a decision.
     The film, which was directed by Britain's Gabriel Range, made its debut at September's Toronto International Film Festival to a barrage of media coverage. It won an award from critics and was acquired for U.S. distribution by Newmarket Films.
     It is scheduled to air on British television next week. [Air date was Oct. 9, 2006.]
     Richard Abramowitz, who is consulting with Newmarket on the film's distribution, said "Death of a President" has been booked into more than 100 venues and he expects that number to rise as he expands his sales effort into other regions.
     "In certain cases, there has been a rush to judgement," Abramowitz said. "The fact is the film is not about what people are suggesting it is about. It is a thoughtful film and a political thriller."
     Typically, a film like "Death of a President" would play mostly in art houses, but increasingly the major movie megaplexes, such as those run by Regal, Cinemark and AMC, have begun screening low-budget and independently made movies.
     "Death of a President" is not Newmarket's first controversial film. In 2004, it released Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

From a friend:

at the beginning of the school year, the teachers' union sent out letters of invitation to all persons running for bcsd school board. in order to be recommended by beta (the bakersfield elementary teachers' association), candidates MUST be interviewed by beta. that seems reasonable!
 the beta interviewing panel gave candidates bottled water and friendly greeting, although they forgot to put out the cookies. the panel tried to make all interviewing candidates feel comfortable. after all, the teachers' union welcomes and WANTS to know of and be able to recommend worthy, committed, learned candidates who love children and have heart, experience, and the best practical ideas for helping the schools.
too often, people have run for school board to get the health insurance it pays out, or the expense account, or to pave their own political careers. these professional politicians really have no place on the school board... or any place in politics, for that matter, although the reality is that such types rule american politics.  the professional politician generally has the most money, and therefore becomes the one with the most perceived charisma, name recognition, clout, and therefore electability. content is secondary:  the most easily recognized face with the flashiest image wins.

 just look at what's happening with arnold: despite his racist and sexist remarks and actions, political inexperience, and many faux pas, the governator, being the wealthiest candidate ever and certainly the biggest movie star ever to take public office, most certainly will be a shoo-in for re-election. he is most famous, he is most wealthy, he is most biggest winner forever and ever.
now, really, this phemonenon is pretty disgusting, don't you think?

i am writing because i hope maybe one or two people might read it and consider voting for the underdogs with heart instead of the wealthy and comfortable.

back to the professional politician types: one school board veteran in particular never replies to beta's request for interview, never shows up. that is a certainly classy-looking, well-turned-out, friend of arnold with no background in elementary education. she has a dazzling smile, however, and the money to campaign and campaign. she continues to be re-elected to the school board, but never gives the teachers' union, which represents the educators of the schools she is supposed to run, the time of day.
please don't vote for this person. you will recognize her when you see her because she looks nice and pretty and her signs will be everywhere.
weir also generally doesn't reply or interview.

the beta team ended up interviewing percy robinson, wesley crawford iii, bill mcdougle, and ed herrera.  of the four, my teacher friend said she admired crawford's spunk & fire. he would really shake things up, she believed, and definitely would be no la-dee-dah weekend candidate.
veteran teachers on the beta panel commented after his interview that reverend crawford, imposing and charismatic in a handsome suit, has learned a lot in his many years in local politics. he was admired for his tenacity, since he unfailingly runs for each election and continues to be turned down by voters. crawford is the big engine that could. he will have his day eventually.

ed herrera, friendly, well-connected, lover of kids, bright, savvy, is electable.
mcdougle, friendly, with beaucoup elementary education teaching and administrating background, name recognition, and heart, is electable.
both men showed heart, commitment, and specific and workable plans of action for how to give aid and direction to bakersfield city schools.
mcdougle and herrera received the teachers' union's recommendation.

for too long, the school district has been represented by board members with insufficient knowledge of how education should be run and insufficient caring for the position.  from top to bottom, educational policy (especially in the last five years) generally has been decided by people who know nothing about how to run schools compassionately and effectively, or how to best encourage and teach children.

children are not products to be belched out of an assembly line, or pegs to be hammered into uniformly shaped holes. therefore nclb, good in concept, is ridiculous in execution. "execution" is an appropriate word to describe what bush's educational policy has done to many students', and their teachers', spirits.

vote for mcdougle and herrera. if you disagree with me, at least do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to research bcsd's school board candidates for yourself.

humorous quotes from adlai stevenson, the candidate known for his self-effacing intellect: http://workinghumor.com/quo...#

from a friend in iceland:

DEMOCRAT
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand and Bono sing for you.

REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALIST, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and breed a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRAT, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program, the government pays you to shoot one and milk the other.
They then pour the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself , and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike to reduce the hours spent milking them.
You believe the American government has self-milking technology, but won’t share.
You blame George W. Bush.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them to be blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You drink some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You drink some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over all the cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production, but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking and richest one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for a white cow that is not even on the ballot.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one is the best-looking and richest cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Five cows speak English.
Most cows were brought to California illegally. They are paid a slave wage and are blamed for America's woes.  They are sent back to Mexico.
Milk production halts and the Spanish-speaking cows are blamed for taking jobs away from English speaking cows.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders.